The Parish and the New Evangelization

As our parish prepares herself for the Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, we can focus with the Universal Church on the ‘new evangelization’ espoused by Blessed John  Paul II and taken up by the Order of Bishops for our sanctification and the deepening of our faith.

The parish becomes the focal point in our efforts to understand firstly that the root of our faith lies in the faith of our Archbishop, and secondly, that our Archbishop sends us forth int he name of Jesus to help him in the mission given to him by the grace of God and the Apostolic See.

The Holy Spirit walks with us on our journey to heaven, a journey we do not take alone, for Catholics believe in community, we are indeed defined by community, the deep sense of communion which gives definition to our Church and to our family life.

Blessed John Paul II did so much to identify the role of the Successor of Peter, the Apostle, as the Vicar of Christ, as the Apostle and Bishop who teaches, governs and sanctifies the Universal Church. This same reality applies to our local Apostle, the Archbishop who is the High Priest, the Shepherd and the Apostle for us as servant and with us as  father.

Saint Basil the Great, in the book On the Holy Spirit, taken from the Office for January 2, writes this: “A spiritual man is one who no longer lives by the flesh but is led by the Spirit of God, one called a son of God.” This can be seen as the overall context of our parish life; the reason why parishes are formed, so we can be ‘spiritual’ men and women and support one another’s life in the Spirit.

“We are all members of one another, but with different gifts according the grace God gives us. So the eye cannot say to the hand, I do not need you, not the head say to the feet, I have no need of you. All the  members together make up the body of Christ in unity of the Spirit.” “God has arranged the various parts of the body according to his own will (Bishops and parishioners) but there exists among them all a spiritual fellowship which makes it natural for them to share one another’s feelings and to be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer with it, if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

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Give Our Kids a “Fighting Chance”

Give Our Kids a “Fighting Chance” witSchool Voucher & Expanded EITC Legislation!

Use the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network to email your

state legislators in support of school vouchers at www.pacatholic.org.

Please contact our representatives and make our needs known!

Representative Tim Briggs (149th Legislative District)

580 Shoemaker Road

Suite 149

King of Prussia, PA 19406

Email: Tbriggs@pahouse.net

Office: (610) 768‐3135

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/repbriggs

Twitter: @reptimbriggs

State Senator Daylin Leach (District 17)

601 South Henderson Road

Suite 208

King of Prussia, PA 19406

Email: senatorleach@pasenate.com

Office: (610) 768 – 4200

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/State‐Sen‐Daylin‐Leach/363522746507

Twitter: @SenLeachCS

What’s next for Catholic Schools — The work isn’t over

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

One of the best moments in the recent life of our Church happened on Friday, February 23, as students at West Catholic, Conwell‐Egan, Bonner‐Prendie and St. Hubert’s learned that their high schools, originally slated to close, would remain open.

I made the judgment to keep these financially challenged high schools open just a few hours before the press conference announcing the final decision. That little “miracle” happened because a great many people – from the Blue Ribbon Commission, the Office of Catholic Education, the individual school communities and Philadelphia’s business and philanthropic leadership worked heroically to make it so. They raised new money and created the seeds of a new education foundation to assist our archdiocesan high schools, and eventually all our archdiocesan schools.

The Blue Ribbon Commission’s work, the subsequent appeals process and the effort to save the four high schools placed very heavy demands on everyone involved. We owe a big debt of thanks to Jack Quindlen, Ed Hanway, Eleanor Dezzi, Jerry Davis, Frank Farnesi and other members of Blue Ribbon Commission; to Richard McCarron, Mary Rochford and David Magee of the Office of Catholic Education; and to Brian O’Neill, Brian Tierney and other members of the wider community for stepping forward to help.

I especially want to thank the pastors and people of the archdiocese who supported the Commission report and the findings of the appeals process. Some of them did so at great personal cost. No process is perfect. Some persons are always left unsatisfied. In a financially challenged environment as large and complex as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, this can’t be avoided. But in the end, the process of examining our schools was just. Our schools will grow stronger because of the new ideas and structures we now begin to test. And that brings me to a two simple but urgent facts we need to remember in the weeks ahead.

First, after every feel‐good moment like the high school news on February 23, many of us would like to relax. But that’s a luxury we can’t afford. Our problems are not yet solved. They’re merely delayed. We’ve been given more time, more talent and more resources to address them, but the problems facing our schools still need a great deal of hard work and creative thinking to be overcome. We need to vigorously increase school enrollments. we need to raise far more money both at the local grassroots and wider business community levels. And we need to stay focused on the effort. If we don’t do all of these things, the failure will be ours to own.

Second, without the passage of opportunity scholarships and greater Education Improvement Tax Credits (EITC), all of our school efforts become much more difficult. In fact, many of our schools will face the same financial crisis again in the future. “School choice” in the form of vouchers (i.e., opportunity scholarships), along with more EITC resources, is essential to the survival and thriving of our schools. That means that parents, pastors, and Catholic school teachers, presidents and principals need to contact their state lawmakers – this week and next week and the week after, no matter how many times it takes. They need to press their legislators to support opportunity scholarships and to increase Educational Improvement Tax Credits. Catholic education in southeast Pennsylvania has a long and fruitful history. Our schools have played a huge role in enriching the life of Philadelphia and its surrounding communities. Now we need to work to restore that great legacy of education If we stay focused, raise the resources we need and fight for the passage of opportunity scholarships and more EITC funds, we’ll succeed. If we don’t, we’ll fail and we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves. The choice is ours.

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May 17, 2012
by Father Cioppi

MOTHER OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE PRAYER CORNER

What is Prayer?  St. Therese of Lisieux defines prayer as “a surge of the heart:  it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy”.  When we pray, we turn our mind and heart toward God.  He is the source of our life and all that we are and have.  We depend on Him for everything.

Our Mother of Divine Providence Prayer Corner will list the names of all those people that we pray for each Sunday at Mass -  the sick and the deceased.  Let us join in prayer as a community for all who are in need of God’s loving care.

For the Sick:  Terri Gillespie, Joseph Holly, John Keefer, Clarice Merritt, Ro DeRose, John Mahar, Patrick Quinn, Margaret Wahls, Mary Rose McDonnell, Kevin Mott.

For those who have died:  Pat Pasquarelli, Dale Baranick, Francis Kobialka, Tom Gibson, Peg Kraft, Angela (Dolly) Meyer, Josephine Ricci and Dawson Hoffman (relatives of Anne Fioravanti), Robert G. Baurely, Sister Ann Miriam Kennedy, Pasquale Daloisio, Denise Bellano, Mildred Grimes, Donald Peyton, Carol Starface, Albert Sbei, Shirley Tuffaha, Frank Sabatino, Gennero Tarrone, Cass Moser, Dorothy Ann Jackson, Jose Arechabala, “Pete” Peterson, Dorothy Leo, William Perry, June Dreslin, Grace Zona.

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Love One Another As I Love You

What a daunting command Jesus leaves us with this morning: “Love one another as I love you.”  Sharing of ourselves as Christ did, with a self-emptying love, is the greatest expression of love there is.  It comes from a choice we make togive our self completely to others; and in doing so share the joy that is our love.  I think we learn a lot about God’s love for us, and how to live his command, by observing His love at work in others.

This past March, while Philadelphia enjoyed summer-like weather, several states were rocked by a series of devastating tornados. You may remember the stories about it in the national news. As one tornado thundered across Indiana, Stephanie Decker gathered her son Dominic and daughter Reese into the basement of their home. She huddled them under a comforter and then laid her body on top of them.  When the winds of the tornado hit their house they were blowing at 175 miles-per-hour.  The house was leveled in seconds and debris rained down on top of Stephanie.

After the tornado passed Stephanie realized that she couldn’t move.  But her children were unhurt.  She sent 8 year old Dominic to get help and, within minutes, a neighbor found Stephanie under a pile of rubble.  Her legs were crushed by the aftermath of the storm.

Stephanie remembers every terrifying moment of that ordeal – right up to the point of being rushed to the local hospital for emergency surgery.  When she woke up from the surgery, having suffered 7 broken ribs and the loss of her left foot and right leg, her husband Joe told her that she was a hero: their children were alive because of her self-sacrificing love for them.  Breaking down in tears Stephanie said it was just her instinctive reaction to protect the childred she loves so much.  There was nothing she wouldn’t do to keep them safe.  As long as they were safe, she said, she was OK with anything that happened to her.

Stephanie will be the first to tell you that she’s no hero.  She much prefers the simple title of “mom” – because she believes that title fits her best.

The love a mother has for her children mirrors the love God has for his Son and for all of us, His children. If a parent could love her children so much that she is willing to face death to protect them – think about how much more than that God loves his only Son.

Now here’s the part that is truly astounding:  We are so loved by God that he was willing to sacrifice his only Son, Jesus, for our salvation.  It’s hard to fathom the depth of love it takes to do that for us. That’s why St. John tells us: “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to free us from our sins.”

That’s the point Jesus wants us to understand today when he said: “I told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”    Christ’s self-emptying love makes it possible for us to understand and experience the joy that comes from sharing our love in the way Jesus shares his. By appreciating the depth of Our Lord’s love for us, we know how to share our love with others, even if it sometimes requires a very personal sacrifice.

Stephanie Decker knows that love is not something we possess – it possesses us. She got it!  When Jesus tells us that “…it was not you who chose me, but I who chose you,” he is telling us that we are the ones, now, and forever who are possessed in his love.   The love Christ has for us is found in the complete giving of himself on the cross.  Not just for those who believe – but for everyone.  In Jesus there is no partiality or favorites – his love possesses us!  All of us—you, me, and everyone!

“Love one another as I love you.”  To do that means we must love without conditions or limitations.  It means loving without judging or measuring or expecting a return for sharing our love with others. It means emptying our self in the way Jesus did in order to experience the love that possesses us to put aside our own wants and place the needs of those we love first, regardless of the sacrifice demanded of us.

To love, St. John tells us, is to know God; and it’s in sharing Christ’s love that we come to know the Father.

This weekend we commemorate Mother’s Day as we approach the end of the Easter season. What better time is there to share the joy of God’s love for us with someone you know?
-  Take a few minutes to think about the times in your life you’ve encountered the depths of God’s love.
-  Then think about who you would most want to share that love with right now;  And ask yourself:

-  What do I have to do to make that happen?

The answer to that last question is simple. The only thing you need to do to is to keep Our Lord’s command:

“Love one another as I love you.”

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“We were chosen for joy!” John 15:9-17

The Gospel passage is proclaimed within the context that it was not we who chose God, but rather God who, in his grace, approached us with a call and an offer made out of his love. This Gospel reveals the purpose of our call:

We are chosen for joy! We are chosen for love! We are chosen to be his friends!

The Christian is a person whose joy may be complete. No matter what charism a Christian has been given, if it isn’t accompanied by joy the charism will not ignite the human heart. Joy is the first charism of the Christian and radiates more brightly in darkened times.

The Christian is a person who defines love by his life. “No one can show greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ For the Christian, love extends even to enemies and so we must work to love even those who despise us.

Finally, Jesus chose us to be his friends and the friends of God. No longer do we need to approach God from far off. We are not slaves. Jesus gave us an intimacy with God, so that he no is longer distant or a stranger, but very close, in fact as close to us as our heart.

If we truly believe in the power of our baptism we will live out the call of Christ to complete our joy, extend our love and define our friendship, ‘because love is of God; (and) everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God…not that we have loved God, but that he loved us…’

My dear friends, if we find ourselves struggling with this Gospel ask yourself, have I loved God enough? If not, then love Him more!

 

 

 

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May 12, 2012
by Father Cioppi

OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

THE EASTER VIGIL – The Mother of all Vigils – It is wonderful that the church celebrates Easter for so long.  The Easter Season seems to last forever.  And rightly so.  This gives us the time to savor the experience of the Easter Vigil – the anticipation of the resurrection of Jesus.  Each year the vigil is celebrated in the same way, but it never gets old.  It is celebrated as if it is a first time experience and it is for some.  I do believe that my favorite part is the lighting of the fire and the preparation of the Paschal Candle.  The candle is lit and carried into the church in procession and the people enter behind it.  The church is in darkness except for the light from the Paschal Candle, that one flame.  As often as I enter the church and think I know my way, when it is dark, I stumble and hold onto the pews to find my way until all of the candles held by the people are lit.  Then, we become secure again in our journey forward — the following the Light of Christ — Jesus, the light of the world.  Once in church, we hear the readings from the Old Testament which relate to us the saving power of God which moves us into the salvation story.  All that was “lost” during or Lenten journey — the holy wanter, the bells, the candles, the alleluias return during theis celebration.  This year, we were blessed to have 7 people receive the sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmaion and Holy communion.  The community grows in number and our spirit is strengthened.  The Paschal Candle is now lit for all of our liturgies as a reminder to us that Jesus is alive and lives among us.  May we never lose the excitement experienced during this Vigil.

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There’s a Shepherd in Each of Us

Being a shepherd is not a glamorous job and it’s certainly not an easy one.  It’s hard, physical work that requires 24 hour vigilance.   Being a Good Shepherd is even tougher.  A good shepherd not only herds his sheep, he knows the needs of each one of them.  He knows how to care for them; how to nourish them and protect them from all sorts of predators that lurk in waiting.

I recently read an article about a joint study conducted by Harvard and Columbia Universities that covered 20 years of data.  The study tracked over 1 million fourth grade students into their early adulthood.  It focused on the difference that was made in the student’s life from being assigned a highly rated 4th grade teacher. The difference between having a strong teacher or a poor one was dramatic – much like the difference Jesus describes between having a good shepherd or a hired hand tend your sheep.

Students assigned a “good” teacher were 1.25% more likely to attend and graduate from a 4 year college.  They will earn, on average, $25,000 -$50,000 more in their lifetime and will be less likely to become pregnant or to father a child as a teenager. Interesting enough, the study also showed that students assigned a poorly rated 4th grade teacher had an experience that was equivalent to missing 2 days of school every week of the school year.

Jesus the Good Shepherd teaches us a lesson in leadership that’s centered on serving others.  In St. John’s gospel Our Lord gives us a model of selfless service to follow. The good 4th grade teacher is very much like Jesus, the Good Shepherd.  Good teachers place service (in the work of educating our children) ahead of the stature associated with more glamorous occupations.  They know each of their students on a personal level and go out of their way to help struggling students keep up with the rest of the class. Good teachers, like good shepherds, tirelessly help everyone in the class succeed and they never play favorites.  Although their efforts may be unseen to others, the shepherding results achieved by a good teacher are clearly visible.

Each of us at times needs the reassuring guidance of Jesus, our shepherd in our life. But sometimes he calls us to be shepherds to others who need our direction, our care or our protection. Our Lord asks us to recognize that the gifts and abilities we’ve received from God have been entrusted to us to fulfill our own vocation as a ‘good shepherd’ to our brothers and sisters.

As parents, we shepherd our children in developing the moral values they need to live a good life and avoid the wolf-like perils of sin in the world.  At times, we are the voice of the shepherd warding off those who target the rights of the unborn and the helpless in our society.  We embody the care and concern of Jesus, the good shepherd, when we freely give of our self in taking care of those who are isolated from us by sickness or despair.

It’s no coincidence that the Church has designated today as “World Day of Prayer for
Vocations.”  We need more shepherds! We often think that praying for vocations means praying for someone else to accept the call to the pastoral service of a religious or priestly life.  But it’s much more than that.  Today we also offer our prayers for each other, the “lay” shepherds of the world: the teachers, the doctors, policemen, parents, civil servants, volunteers and everyone who places some part of their life at the service of others.

The task of shepherding is selfless and demanding work. Jesus asks us to be the visible
face of the Good Shepherd in the world. He challenges us to move beyond our fears and self-interests by bringing his compassion and concern to those who need it – our family, our friends, and our neighbors.

As you think about how God has asked you to help him in shepherding his flock
-      Consider whether your actions are more like those of a good shepherd or of a hired hand,

-      Ask God to give his wisdom and perseverance to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to doing His work in the world, and

-      Pray that each of us will heed the call to our own “shepherding” vocation.

We have the model of Jesus the Good Shepherd to follow. And if we follow it, like the good 4th grade teacher, each one of us can make a dramatic difference in the lives of those entrusted to our care.

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The King of Prussia 10 Miler & 5K Run/Walk, Sunday, May 20th

A challenging, scenic 10-mile loop with plenty of hills thorugh King of PRussia, beginning and ending at Heuser Park on Beidler Road. The COurse is USATF certified (PA #08002WB). 5K course is a rolling loop that also starts and finishes at Heuser Park. Marshals will be on the course.

Link to:   http://www.kingofprussia10miler.com/

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April 24, 2012
by Father Cioppi

A time to wait on God and a time to work for God Luke 24:35-48

From the Gospel today we can learn three things: That the person who stood before the Apostles in the Upper Room after the crucifixion is real. He reveals his wounds to them and invites them to ‘touch and see.’ This is the person who wants now to have a faithful relationship with us.

The second lesson we can learn is that the Cross is a necessary part of Divine Providence.  It is not a last minute cure when all else failed, for the Cross is the one place on earth, where in a moment of time, we see the eternal love of God.

The third lesson we can learn are the secret of power. All authority, place and action comes from God and without Him there is tyranny over the human spirit. There may be times when people think we are wasting our time here in the silence of this sacred space. They may think that our Sunday gathering as a parish is ‘stupid.’ But the wisdom of God tells us that there is a time to wait on God and a time to work for God. And this is a time to wait on God.

These times that we wait on the Lord are important not just for our parish and ourselves but also for the world and for humanity. Listening is the beginning of good preaching.

Our faith is meant to be shared in the image of God. Take what you have heard and by your actions announce the Good News to a barren world. Be salt for the earth!

 

 

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April 24, 2012
by Father Cioppi

OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION – With the all-night vigil with Jesus from the Last Supper to Good Friday morning behind us, we reflect on what Jesus would have experienced during those night hours.  Arrested and moved from place to place, questioned and finally lowered into the prison cell, weak, tired and afraid.  The morn comes and He is once again treated cruelly, he is condemned to die and begins his journey to Calvary.  Our celebration of the Lord’s passion remembers this with the Liturgy of the Word and the Proclamation of the Passion.  How our hearts skip a beat when we read that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.   We kneel in reverence of Jesus’ total giving of self for our sins and love of His Father.  We then move to the second section of this liturgy and reverence the Cross of Christ.  The crucifix, draped in a red cloth with the symbol of His wounds visible, is carried in procession on the shoulders of our Deacon and Deacon candidate through the church with lighted candles.  The silence at this time is palpable.  Once at the altar, the crucifix is uncovered and placed before us in the stark reality of the death of Jesus.  We all process forward and offer a sign of respect and love for what Jesus has done for us.  During this procession, we sing “Were You There” – it does cause me to tremble realizing that my sins are part of Jesus suffering.  But, it also brings great joy to know that through this action of Jesus, our sin are forgiven – all sins are forgiven.  We then celebrate the Communion Rite and receive the broken body of our Savior, Jesus Christ.   Our celebration ends in silence with the crucifix before us as a reminder of Jesus gift of salvation to us on that Good Friday.  This action continues today each time Mass is celebrated.  Let us rejoice in the great love that God has for us, to give His only Son for our sake.  This is why this Friday is called “Good”.

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